List of German defence ministers

For pre-1919 Prussian ministers of war, see List of war ministers of Prussia.

The federal minister of defence (German: Bundesminister der Verteidigung) is the head of the Federal Ministry of Defence and a member of the Federal Cabinet.

Federal Minister of Defence
Bundesminister der Verteidigung
Coat of arms
State flag
Incumbent Boris Pistorius since 19 January 2023
Federal Ministry of Defence
Reports to	The federal chancellor
Appointer	The president, upon advice of the federal chancellor
Formation	13 February 1919
First holder	Gustav Noske (Weimar Republic) Theodor Blank (Federal Republic of Germany)
Website	bmvg.de

According to Article 65a of the German Constitution (German: Grundgesetz), the federal minister of defence is commander-in-chief (German: Inhaber der Befehls- und Kommandogewalt) of the German armed forces, the Bundeswehr, in peacetime.^[1] Conversely, when a state of defence is declared, the federal chancellor becomes commander-in-chief.^[2] The highest-ranking military officer in the Bundeswehr is the Inspector General of the Bundeswehr (German: Generalinspekteur der Bundeswehr).

The current Federal Minister of Defence is Boris Pistorius, since 19 January 2023.^[3]

List of officeholders

Ministers of defence, 1919–1935

No.	Portrait	Minister of Defence	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Party	Cabinet
1		Noske, GustavGustav Noske (1868–1946)	13 February 1919	22 March 1920	1 year, 38 days	SPD	Scheidemann Bauer
2		Gessler, OttoOtto Gessler (1875–1955)	27 March 1920	19 January 1928	7 years, 298 days	DDP	Müller I Fehrenbach Wirth I−II Cuno Stresemann I−II Marx I−II Luther I−II Marx III−IV
3		Groener, WilhelmWilhelm Groener (1867–1939)	19 January 1928	30 May 1932	4 years, 132 days	Independent	Marx IV Müller II Brüning I−II
4		Schleicher, KurtKurt von Schleicher (1882–1934)	1 June 1932	28 January 1933	243 days	Independent	Papen Schleicher
5		Blomberg, WernerWerner von Blomberg (1878–1946)	29 January 1933	21 May 1935	2 years, 112 days	Independent	Schleicher Hitler

Minister of war, 1935–1938

No.	Portrait	Minister of War	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Party	Cabinet
1		Blomberg, WernerWerner von Blomberg (1878–1946)	21 May 1935	27 January 1938	2 years, 251 days	Independent	Hitler

In 1938 the Ministry of War was abolished and replaced by the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (OKW), as a result of the Blomberg–Fritsch affair.

Chiefs of the OKW (de facto ministers of war, 1938–1945)

No.	Portrait	Chief of the OKW	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Party	Cabinet
1		Keitel, WilhelmWilhelm Keitel (1882–1946)	4 February 1938	13 May 1945	7 years, 98 days	Independent	Hitler Goebbels Schwerin von Krosigk
2		Jodl, AlfredAlfred Jodl (1890–1946)	13 May 1945	23 May 1945	10 days	Independent	Schwerin von Krosigk

Minister of war, 1945

No.	Portrait	Minister of War	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Party	Cabinet
1		Dönitz, KarlKarl Dönitz (1891–1980)	30 April 1945	23 May 1945	23 days	NSDAP	Goebbels Schwerin von Krosigk

Karl Dönitz was named as Minister of War in Hitler's testament.

Ministers of defence of the GDR, 1956–1990

No.	Portrait	Minister of Defence	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Party	Chairman
1		Stoph, WilliWilli Stoph (1914–1999)	1 March 1956	14 July 1960	4 years, 135 days	SED	Grotewohl
2		Hoffmann, HeinzHeinz Hoffmann (1910–1985)	14 July 1960	2 December 1985 †	25 years, 141 days	SED	Grotewohl Stoph Sindermann Stoph
3		Kessler, HeinzHeinz Kessler (1920–2017)	3 December 1985	18 November 1989	3 years, 351 days	SED	Stoph Modrow
4		Hoffmann, TheodorTheodor Hoffmann (1935–2018)	18 November 1989	12 April 1990	145 days	SED	Modrow
5		Eppelmann, RainerRainer Eppelmann (born 1943)	12 April 1990	2 October 1990	173 days	DA	de Maizière

Ministers of defence (Bundesminister der Verteidigung), since 1955

No.	Portrait	Name	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Party	Cabinet
1		Blank, TheodorTheodor Blank (1905–1972)	7 June 1955	16 October 1956	1 year, 131 days	CDU	Adenauer II
2		Strauß, FranzFranz Josef Strauss (1915–1988)	16 October 1956	9 January 1963	6 years, 85 days	CSU	Adenauer II–V
3		Hassel, Kai-UweKai-Uwe von Hassel (1913–1997)	9 January 1963	1 December 1966	3 years, 326 days	CDU	Erhard I–II
4		Schröder, GerhardGerhard Schröder (1910–1989)	1 December 1966	21 October 1969	2 years, 324 days	CDU	Kiesinger I
5		Schmidt, HelmutHelmut Schmidt (1918–2015)	22 October 1969	7 July 1972	2 years, 259 days	SPD	Brandt I
6		Leber, GeorgGeorg Leber (1920–2012)	7 July 1972	16 February 1978	5 years, 224 days	SPD	Brandt I–II Schmidt I–II
7		Apel, HansHans Apel (1932–2011)	17 February 1978	1 October 1982	4 years, 226 days	SPD	Schmidt II–III
8		Wörner, ManfredManfred Wörner (1934–1994)	4 October 1982	18 May 1988	5 years, 227 days	CDU	Kohl I–II–III
9		Scholz, RupertRupert Scholz (born 1937)	18 May 1988	21 April 1989	338 days	CDU	Kohl III
10		Stoltenberg, GerhardGerhard Stoltenberg (1928–2001)	21 April 1989	31 March 1992	2 years, 345 days	CDU	Kohl III–IV
11		Rühe, VolkerVolker Rühe (born 1942)	1 April 1992	26 October 1998	6 years, 188 days	CDU	Kohl IV–V
12		Scharping, RudolfRudolf Scharping (born 1947)	27 October 1998	19 July 2002	3 years, 265 days	SPD	Schröder I
13		Struck, PeterPeter Struck (1943–2012)	19 July 2002	22 November 2005	3 years, 126 days	SPD	Schröder II
14		Jung, FranzFranz Josef Jung (born 1949)	22 November 2005	28 October 2009	3 years, 340 days	CDU	Merkel I
15		Guttenberg, Karl-TheodorKarl-Theodor zu Guttenberg (born 1971)	28 October 2009	3 March 2011	1 year, 126 days	CSU	Merkel II
16		Maizière, ThomasThomas de Maizière (born 1954)	3 March 2011	17 December 2013	2 years, 289 days	CDU	Merkel II
17		Leyen, UrsulaUrsula von der Leyen (born 1958)	17 December 2013	17 July 2019	5 years, 212 days	CDU	Merkel III–IV
18		Kramp, AnnegretAnnegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (born 1962)	17 July 2019	8 December 2021	2 years, 144 days	CDU	Merkel IV
19		Lambrecht, ChristineChristine Lambrecht (born 1965)	8 December 2021	19 January 2023	1 year, 42 days	SPD	Scholz
20		Pistorius, BorisBoris Pistorius (born 1960)	19 January 2023	Incumbent	2 years, 205 days	SPD	Scholz Merz